Obermann International Fellows

Fall 2025

  • Jordan Gigout, dancer and dance notator, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, France
  • Patricia Marga, PhD Candidate, Department of Public Health, Babeș‑Bolyai University, Romania
  • Shazia Rehman Khan, Assistant Professor, Bahria University, Pakistan
  • Pervin Saket, poet, novelist, editor curator, India

Spring 2026

  • Anna Carolina Marques Perrella de Barros, audiologist, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
  • Washington Okeyo, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the Management University of Africa, Kenya
  • Fernando Ramón Ordóñez Tarín, Associate Professor, La Universidad de la República, Uruguay

Obermann Symposium

Cultivating Rurality: Building Community around Rural Research

Co-directors:

  • Brian Farrell, College of Law
  • Dara Fisher Page, College of Law
  • Ryan Sakoda, University of California, Berkeley

Speakers:

  • Harleah Buck, College of Nursing
  • Rae Garringer, Country Queers podcast
  • Tyler Hahn, Cherokee Public Library
  • Brandi Janssen, Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health
  • Cherisse Jones-Branch, Arkansas State University
  • Katy Kozhimannil, University of Minnesota
  • Travis Kraus, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College
  • Ashley Laux, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College
  • Andy Mink, Smithsonian Institute
  • Esther Pereen, University of Amsterdam
  • Hope Tucker, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Carlton Turner, Mississippi Center for Cultural Production
  • Stephen Warren, History and American Studies, CLAS

Working Groups

  • MAKE SURE THESE ARE UPDATED
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  • Center for Publics, Platforms, and Personalization - co-directors: Brian Ekdale (Journalism & Mass Communication, CLAS) and Rishab Nithyanand (Computer Science, CLAS)
  • Chinese Humanities and Arts Workshop - co-directors: Newell Ann Van Auken (Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, & Cultures, CLAS) and Amy Huang (Art History, CLAS)
  • Contemporary Literary and Film Theory - director: Kathleen Newman (Spanish & Portuguese, CLAS)
  • Museum Futures - director: Anny Curtius (French & Italian, CLAS)
  • The Project on Rhetoric of Inquiry (POROI) - director: Naomi Greyser (English and American Studies, CLAS)
  • Race Workshop - co-directors: Louise Seamster (Sociology & Criminology, CLAS) and Amber Joy Powell (Sociology & Criminology, CLAS)
  • Reconceptualizing the Mental Health Crisis in Higher Education: A Mindful Journey - co-directors: Barry Schreier (Counseling Psychology, College of Education) and Dusty Persinger (Tippie College of Business)
  • Reproductive Justice - co-directors: Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz (Communication Studies, CLAS) and Lina-Maria Murillo (Gender, Women's, & Sexuality Studies, CLAS)
  • Teaching of Writing - co-directors: Carol Severino (Rhetoric, CLAS) and Deirdre Egan (Rhetoric, CLAS)
  • Translation in the Humanities - director: Jan Steyn (Literary Translation; French & Italian, CLAS)
  • UI Evolution of Cognition - director: Carrie Figdor (Philosophy, CLAS)
  • Unbound: Learning without Limits - co-directors: Kathy Schuh (Educational Psychology, College of Education) and Kay Ramey (Psychological & Quantitative Foundations, College of Education)
  • Water, Society, and Global Change - co-directors: Elise Pizzi (Political Science, CLAS) and Matt Dannenberg (Geographical & Sustainability Sciences, CLAS)

Spelman Rockefeller-Funded Scholars and Projects

Working Groups:

  • Unbound

Interdisciplinary Research Grants:

  • Fruit Flies group

SIP Grants

  • Kimberly McFadden, Iowa Reading Research Center
  • Megan Ronnenberg, School of Social Work, CLAS

Co-Sponsored Event

  • Del Sol Quartet

 

Interdisciplinary Research Grants

From Analysis to Action: An Interdisciplinary Practice Guide for Advancing Degree Progress

  • Katharine Broton, Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, College of Education
  • Lindsay Jarratt, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Iowa State University
  • Freda Lynn, Sociology and Criminology, CLAS

Leveraging Fruit Fly Genetics and Clinical Genetic Testing to Help Identify Genes Associated with Intellectual Disability

  • Benjamin Darbro, Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine
  • John Manak, Biology, CLAS

Pressing Matters: Community Printmaking to Support Recovery

  • Alison Lynch, Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine
  • Laura Moser, Public Space One
  • Nichole Nidey, College of Public Health

The Role of Public Transit Improvements in Advancing Mental and Physical Health in Johnson County, IA

  • Megan Gilster, School of Social Work, CLAS
  • Bogdan Kapatsila, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College
  • Shannon Lea Watkins, College of Public Health

Counterpoint

  • Mercedes Bern-Klug, School of Social Work, CLAS
  • Amy Colbert, Tippie College of Business

End-of-Year Writing Retreat

  • Mila Argueta, English, CLAS
  • Alison Bianchi, Sociology and Criminology, CLAS
  • Kimberly Datchuk, Stanley Museum of Art
  • Abbey Dvorak, School of Music, CLAS
  • Amelia Goldsby, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Carolina Gustafson, College of Nursing
  • Bogdan Kapatsila, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College
  • Becca Klaver, English, CLAS
  • Ava Neumaier, English, CLAS
  • Lynne Nugent, English (The Iowa Review), CLAS
  • Thalassa Raasch, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Mark Rheaume, Rhetoric, CLAS
  • Stephanie Rue, Center for the Book, Graduate College
  • Lisa Segre, Community and Primary Care, College of Nursing
  • Carol Severino, Rhetoric, CLAS
  • Christine Sherrod, School of Social Work, CLAS
  • Diana Thow, Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures, CLAS
  • Thelma Trujillo, English, CLAS
  • Parker Watson, English, CLAS
  • Nicole Wilder-Gutierrez, English (Nonfiction Writing Program), CLAS

Wide Lens

  • Stephanie DiPietro, Sociology and Criminology, CLAS
  • Meenakshi Gigi Durham, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, CLAS
  • Andrew Forbes, Biology, CLAS
  • Johanna Kasimow, Theatre Arts, CLAS
  • Elizabeth Menninga, Political Science, CLAS
  • Allison Rowe, College of Education

Editor-in-Residence

Faculty Book Proposal Workshop:

  • Ryan Adelsheim, Theatre Arts, CLAS
  • Jose O. Fernandez, American Studies, CLAS
  • Denise Filios, Spanish and Portuguese, CLAS
  • Jennifer Kayle, Dance, CLAS
  • Thalassa Raasch, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • PJ Zaborowski, English, CLAS

Editorial Consultations:

  • Katy Ambrose, School of Music, CLAS
  • Sarah Hachtman, School of Music, CLAS
  • Amy Huang, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Casie Minot, English, CLAS
  • Kaia Olsen, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Rachel Rucker, Classics, CLAS
  • Dana Thomann, Rhetoric, CLAS
  • Adam Witte, English (Nonfiction Writing Program), CLAS
  • Rachel Young, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, CLAS

Small Important Project (SIP) Grants

  • Heba Abdelnaby, Iowa Reading Research Center
  • Samantha Barbas, College of Law
  • Denis Candido, Physics and Astronomy, CLAS
  • Laura Conway, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Michael D'Angelo, School of Music, CLAS
  • Stephanie DiPietro, Sociology and Criminology, CLAS
  • Jose Fernandez, American Studies, CLAS
  • Kate Hinshaw, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Travis Kraus, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College
  • Sara Langworthy, Center for the Book, Graduate College
  • Kimberly McFadden, Iowa Reading Research Center
  • Anna Morrison, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Xuan Mu, Carver College of Medicine
  • Jeffrey Nordine, College of Education
  • Thalassa Raasch, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Megan Ronnenberg, School of Social Work, CLAS
  • Margaret Rowley, School of Music, CLAS
  • Riel Sturchio, School of Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Gahyun Sung, College of Education
  • Newell Ann Van Auken, Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures, CLAS
  • Rachel Yoder, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
  • Bingbing Zhang, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, CLAS

Humanities Without Walls Summer Interns

  • Olivia Alsup, English, CLAS
  • Gregg Johnson, Spanish and Portuguese, CLAS
  • Robin Johnstone, College of Education
  • Bella Spilotro, Art, Art History, and Design, CLAS
  • Aaron Stagner, History, CLAS
  • Johanna Tesfaye, Cinematic Arts, CLAS

​​​​​​​Obermann Advisory Board, 2024–25

  • Cassie Barnhardt, Social and Education Policy Reserach, College of Education
  • Brittany Bettendorf, Immunology, Carver College of Medicine
  • Sarah E. Bond, History and Classics, CLAS
  • Cynthia Chou, Anthropology and Asian Studies, CLAS
  • Mary Beth Easley, Theatre Arts, CLAS
  • Ebonee Johnson, Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health
  • Juan Pablo Hourcade, Computer Science, CLAS
  • Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Office of the Vice President for Research; Religious Studies and Gender, Women's, & Sexuality Studies, CLAS (ex-officio)
  • Roland Racevskis, French & Italian; College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Administration (ex-officio)
  • Michael Sauder, Sociology & Criminology, CLAS
  • Tammie Walker, School of Music, CLAS
  • Joseph Yockey, College of Law